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Cycling ettiquette

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  • June 22, 2012 at 9:38 pm #16151
    PRINCIPIA PHIL

    Any advice on what’s the best form when you catch and pass a cyclist when you’re out on your winter hack and the other guy is on his best superbike?

    Out for a 50 mile ride last Wednesday when after 25 miles or so i noticed a cyclist in front of me when i got to within 800 metres of him, he was going at a steady pace and after about 1 km i had got onto his wheel.
    Not wanting to be seen as a wheelsucker i rode alongside, made pleasantries – “hi, nice day etc” and rode on for a few seconds before checking behind to see that it was ok to pull back in. While passing i noticed that the rider was on a very nice carbon fibre rig (i was on a Specialised Allez 16 speed Sora with upgraded wheels – Ultegra Hubs on 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro CD rims, not the lightest of hoops but bulletproof and well sealed for the winter).
    About 300 metres later we come to a small ramp in the road, nothing major but just enough to either drop down a gear or get out of the saddle, just at this point did the other guy come past giving it full gas – all i could see were the carbonfibre hubs on his rear wheel and i thought to myself – nice hoops, i wonder if those are Campagnolo Hyperions….
    So then the road levels off again, and the guy in front has dropped the pace leaving me with the dilemma – do i pass him again or just sit on his wheel. Just as I’m about to pass him we approach a crossroads and he turns sharply into the road on the right making no signals – as i was just half a bike length behind him i had to react to avoid a collision.
    So, my question is – What’s the best way to handle such a situation? Any ideas?

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Viewing 14 replies - 16 through 29 (of 29 total)
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  • June 27, 2012 at 10:30 am #688179
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    notfastenough

    Love the Cav story – “cheery
    Love the Cav story – “cheery b@stard” indeed! The worst of it is, he’d probably ridden farther than your 60 miles as well.

    June 27, 2012 at 7:03 am #688177
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    Alex.wall

    This happens quite a lot at
    This happens quite a lot at Richmond park (where all the rules around cycling etiquette are thrown out the window!!!) A couple of days ago I was doing a recovery ride with the missus and some MAMIL sprints past us (really inefficiently I may add) and about 200m ahead he slows down to a slower pace than us so we are sitting on his wheel… He’s obviously out of breath as well. He was riding a pinarello with some sort of Zipp 404, 806 combo (606??). Rather embarrasing especially when we pass and he’s looking at his crank as if something’s wrong with it.

    I just ride my own ride, do what you have set out to do and don’t get wound up by these weasels. Part of being a good cyclist and/or athlete (I’m a triathlete – booo) is just to train smart.

    June 26, 2012 at 3:03 pm #688175
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    Darthshearer

    Ive done this a few times,
    Ive done this a few times, i.e passed someone on a Carbon machine on my winter bike. Just be pleasent and nice. If they take offence then they need a reality check.

    Made me think of a story, my friend and I were out in the Peaks earlier this year and we were climbing one of the roads there, it was cold and windy and we had done about 60 miles and were shattered due to the weather.

    On the climb I was passed by someone who was flying and they said “Dig in there mate, have a good ride” I thought “you cheery b@stard” I looked up and it was Mark Cavendish out training with Rob Hayles on his moped.

    June 26, 2012 at 1:46 pm #688173
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    notfastenough

    veseunr wrote:Protocol:
    Full

    veseunr wrote:
    Protocol:

    Full gas a la Cavendish, then after 200m raise both arms and shout “YES!!”. Stop …. wait til he passes and tell him he was the best lead out man you’ve had since Renshaw and you owe it all to your team.

    Repeat another 10 or 12 times until:
    a) You get bored
    b) He hits you on the nose
    c) You run out of legs
    d) Some younger bloke does the same to you (Sagan, Guardini, etc,)

    Brilliant, although I think B may happen sooner than you think if you also give him the obligatory sweaty cuddle each time.

    June 25, 2012 at 9:07 pm #688171
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    waynokio

    veseunr wrote:Protocol:
    Full

    veseunr wrote:
    Protocol:

    Full gas a la Cavendish, then after 200m raise both arms and shout “YES!!”. Stop …. wait til he passes and tell him he was the best lead out man you’ve had since Renshaw and you owe it all to your team.

    Repeat another 10 or 12 times until:
    a) You get bored
    b) He hits you on the nose
    c) You run out of legs
    d) Some younger bloke does the same to you (Sagan, Guardini, etc,)

    brilliant, an actual lol moment when i read your reply

    June 24, 2012 at 12:24 pm #688169
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    Cooks

    Renshaw him.
    Renshaw him.

    June 23, 2012 at 10:00 pm #688167
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    PRINCIPIA PHIL

    Thanks for the advice, if i
    Thanks for the advice, if i were to raise both arms in a victory salute i’d probably fall off!

    It’s just an unusual situation to be in – a quasi cycle race when we’ve both met up having done completely different routes, so he could be a busted flush as he’s at the end of his ride while i’m mid way through mine or he could’ve done a hard couple of days in a row. So the idea of getting into a testosterone fuelled competition is a bit crazy.
    When i was making conversation, it was all one way – no reply and i was left with the impression that he was annoyed that i had the audacity to pass him while he was on his super bike and that he was then starting to make a break for it himself but ran out of energy and turned off the road in a huff.
    I was just looking to continue on my way at my own pace without getting involved in a slightly tense situation.
    Hopefully the weather settles in the next couple of days and the good bike can get an airing, though it’s a bit of a prima donna in comparison to the Specialized which gets dogs abuse and just works regardless (the good bike being a Principia Rex Linda McCartney, a pampered pet which sits on display in the living room).

    June 23, 2012 at 11:04 am #688165
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    andrew streit1

    veseunr wrote:Protocol:
    Full

    veseunr wrote:
    Protocol:

    Full gas a la Cavendish, then after 200m raise both arms and shout “YES!!”. Stop …. wait til he passes and tell him he was the best lead out man you’ve had since Renshaw and you owe it all to your team.

    Repeat another 10 or 12 times until:
    a) You get bored
    b) He hits you on the nose
    c) You run out of legs
    d) Some younger bloke does the same to you (Sagan, Guardini, etc,)

    Ha ha. I love this. I dare say I am tempted to do it next time!!

    June 23, 2012 at 8:10 am #688163
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    Bobbys boys

    lol … genius.
    All accepted
    lol … genius.

    All accepted but try to get two pretty girls to kiss your cheeks as he passes … and change your shirt!

    June 23, 2012 at 8:08 am #688161
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    veseunr

    Protocol:
    Full gas a la
    Protocol:

    Full gas a la Cavendish, then after 200m raise both arms and shout “YES!!”. Stop …. wait til he passes and tell him he was the best lead out man you’ve had since Renshaw and you owe it all to your team.

    Repeat another 10 or 12 times until:
    a) You get bored
    b) He hits you on the nose
    c) You run out of legs
    d) Some younger bloke does the same to you (Sagan, Guardini, etc,)

    June 23, 2012 at 7:49 am #688159
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    roly

    your winter hacker is pretty
    your winter hacker is pretty much my all year round bike although i have the tiagra hubs on mine and yes they are bulletproof. I tend to make sure i never get into wheelsucking distance. so hang back and if they’re not fast enough you have enough distance to get a nice bit of speed on and go flying past with a friendly hello. sometimes they attack back, but isn’t that all part of the fun of it. i think so long as you keep it all smiles then anything goes

    June 22, 2012 at 11:41 pm #688157
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    spongebob

    sit on his wheel for 25 miles
    sit on his wheel for 25 miles then burn past him when he goes to turn off.

    June 22, 2012 at 11:12 pm #688155
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    Raleigh

    After being shouted at (see
    After being shouted at (see ‘tithe guy who shouted at me’) I now think it’s best to ask someone if they want to work with you, doing a mini through and off.

    Otherwise, neither know what they’re doing and it gets awkward.

    June 22, 2012 at 10:22 pm #688153
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    Gkam84

    Unless you know them and are
    Unless you know them and are interesting it linking up and taking turns on the front, I tend to just go at my pace, whether thats leaving them behind or letting them go.

    Don’t raise or lower your performance for anyone but yourself. In this case, I would have just shown my power and taken off the front and left him in the dust, its not about the bike, but its all about the rider 😉 😉

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